Faith and Values: Global values, global religion and dialogue

Not too long ago, the phrase, "the world's gone global," would have been met with a curious look and even the criticism, "You're being redundant — you're saying the same thing over again."

Awkward as the language may be, there can be no doubt that the idea behind the phrase is in the mainstream of all of our lives. Modern communications systems have shrunk the world into a global environment where information, economics and commerce, politics and culture cross boundaries and interlink.

Moral philosophers, theologians and scholars of religion are pondering the meaning of globalization in the areas of values and faith: "Can we identify today any global values?" and "How might global values affect our understanding of religion and faith?"

While no one would deny that the world is a big and diverse place, the question is whether we can identify values held in common by people of goodwill the world over. Several such values come quickly to mind. In every society, as philosopher Keith Ward notes, people of good have basic human needs and affirm the values of justice, benevolence, truthfulness and freedom. These values are so common that they can rightly be called "global." They may take different forms and be affected by cultural difference, but the values themselves are affirmed "globally."

For if people are to flourish and find fulfillment, they will take others into account and concern themselves with the welfare of others (benevolence). They will treat each another fairly, impartially and with respect (justice); they will keep promises and trust others to speak truthfully; and they will enjoy or seek freedom from oppression while concerning themselves with the liberation of others. People around the world have more than 46 chromosomes in common.

The harder question about global values is what they might mean in a religious context. Are there global religious values?

Religions are so different and so diverse — it is estimated that Christianity alone has over 30,000 varieties in the world today — that any talk about a "global religion" is fruitless. On the other hand, since every religion makes a claim about ultimate truth, and ultimate truth would obviously be true in every time and place, religious people probably do hold in some significant way the idea that their particular religion is a global religion even if they also acknowledge that it is not universally recognized as such. But it is not a global religion that is at issue but whether there are values held by religious people that transcend the particularities of belief and practice. Are there values in the religious realm parallel to those global moral values — benevolence, justice, truthfulness freedom?

Religious people find in their religion direction to the values we've just identified — benevolence, justice, truthfulness and freedom. On the question of freedom, consider how important the Exodus experience of liberation from oppression is in the Jewish tradition, or liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth is in Hinduism and Buddhism, or freedom from the law is for Christians. We could take each of those values and show how religious people come to value them in their particular tradition.

But religious values extend further. No religion of which I am aware values selfishness or says that acquiring material things is the meaning of life. Religion seems to offer a pathway to confronting selfishness and overcoming egoism. The Buddhist notion of nirvana, the ultimate aim of existence, is extinguishment of the ego, like blowing out a lighted match.

Islam commends the subordination of self before Allah — the word "islam" means submission. Christianity emphasizes service to others and humility as markers of faith and asks that the faithful put on the mind of Christ, not "more me." All religions seem to acknowledge that it is in the effort to realize these values in our everyday lives that we find deep fulfillment as human beings and as spiritual beings. Other religious values that appear to be global include love, compassion, peace and the spiritual equality of all people.

If people of faith are going to express their common values while also learning about religious differences, they must encounter and talk to one another. Dialogue is the key to religious understanding today. I alert readers to The Day of Dialogue 1:30-5 p.m. Sunday at First Presbyterian Church in Allentown. Jews, Christians and Muslims will come together to talk about spiritual practices, "Being in Prayer, Prayer in our Being." This should be a wonderful learning opportunity for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of religious difference and global religious values through encounter and dialogue.

Lloyd Steffen is professor of religion studies and University Chaplain at Lehigh University in Bethlehem.